THE
DREAD LIBRARY

Reggaes Impact on Hip-Hop

Jamie Ann Board

Music is one of the most influential factors of our lives; it is thought provoking.
It makes us ask questions such as, how did they get that sound? Or what are
they saying? Music can give off a variety of feelings. With this you can only
do one thing and thats listen.

Reggae has been at the fore-front of the development of music.
It has influenced disco, pop, and ska. In todays uprise of hip-hop we
must give credit to Reggae and the Jamaican culture from which it came from.
Reggaes discovery of dubbing and toasting led to hip-hops emceeing
(later known as rapping) and scratching. A variety of techniques would develop
from this, one being sampling. The sound systems of Jamaica became the center
of American inner city night-life. "Showdowns" between emcees and
challenges between dancers became competitive. Leading youth to putting their
minds and skills towards something else, rather than the violence that became
daily in inner cities. Gangster rap and dancehall music would tell of everyday
realities of living in the ghetto, including the violence always occurred. Most
of all African-Americans of the inner cities and Jamaicans could relate with
the hardships of the political, social, and economic conditions that faced them;
this became the root of hip-hop lyrics.

Reggaes contributions in musical technology were at many times looked
over as being influential in hip-hop.

"Very significant, but little appreciated outside New Yorks Caribbean
community at the time, was the introduction of the Jamaican "sound system"
style to the citys party-going mix. Using their own versions of mixing
boards, since the 60s DJs around Jamaica had given "back-a-yard"
parties where the bass and drum pounded like jackhammers. The "dub"
style of these mobile DJs stripped away melody to give reggaes deep, dark
grooves throbbing prominence." Reggae music must be acknowledged for setting
the beginnings for hip-hop, especially through reggaes use of dubbing.

Dubbing is an instrumental remix of an original tune. It usually was the
B-side of Jamaican 45s, which was a remix of the A-side. In Jamaica, record
cutters "began to dub out the band track right after the intro of the tune
and during the first few bars of vocals, leaving the singers acappella. Then
abruptly shut off the vocals, sometimes chopping off words and letting the band
roll." Songs could be cut to pieces and be put anywhere on the record;
nothing had to sound smoothly. You could get fleeting moments of sound. The
next cut would be unpredictable creating suspense in a song, yet it was vital
that the song still unfolded naturally. "Dub is a kaleidoscopic musical
montage which takes sounds originally intended as interlocking parts of another
arrangement and using them as raw material, converts them into new and different
sounds; then, in its own rhythm and format, it continually reshuffles these
new sounds into unusual juxtapositions."

This sound interested urban artists in the United States, especially in the
African American community. Dubbing was being called "scratching"
in the states. "Scratching" took popularity in the South Bronx, a
poverty-stricken area in New York. One main reason why it developed here was
because for "scratching" all that was needed was two turn tables and
a mic; this was relatively inexpensive compared to band equipment. It led to
techniques of punch phrasing and break spinning. ""Punch phrasing"
playing a quick burst from a record on one turntable while it continues
on the other  and "break spinning"alternately spinning
both records backward to repeat the same phrase over and over."

Afika Bambaata, Kool Herc, and Grandmaster Flash, are three legends of
hip-hop. They are looked as the founding fathers. Kool Herc, is the only one
out of the three that gives credit to his Jamaican roots for his early development
of break spinning. "Hip-hop .the whole chemistry of that came from
Jamaica ..In Jamaica all you needed was a drum and a bass. So what I did
was go right to the yoke. I cut off all the anticipation and just
played the beats. Id find out where the break in the record was and prolonged
it and people would love it. So I was giving them their own taste and beat percussion
wise .cause my music is all about heavy bass."

One Jamaican artist that probably influenced Kool Herc was Osbourne Ruddock,
also know as King Tubby. He was the chief pioneer of dubbing. King Tubby put
the focus and center of the reshuffling process, on bass and rhythm, obviously
this is where Herc learned his skills. "In Jamaica there is an acute awareness
of the riddum as the inner message of the music and a distinct value placed
on it." There was no longer a focus on vocals. Herc use to take a record
called "BongoRock", which just featured bongos and congas and length
and extend each song. This record would later be called "B-beats"
and become the first background beats for the dance parties in the Bronx.

Dubbing, thus enable a person to toast. The rhythm and the bass could still
be in the background, and a person could just rhyme off the beat. "What
is remarkable about vocal/dubs is the way the arrangement constantly changes
texture under the lyrics, plunging and climaxing with echo trails, creating
different moods that underscore the singer."

DJs in Jamaica were originally around to promote albums and hype up songs.
U-Roy was the first to "toast" over King Tubbys dubbings. "But
what separates U.Roy from the rest is the fact that he gave reggae this live
jivin dimension which is so electrifying " Roy boasted phrases fitting
in with the words of the song. He used a call and response style, to get the
crowd hyped up. "His rhythmic sense and distinctive voice, with its
gravelly exclamations of "Wow" and "Yeah" have been much
imitated, but international success has been elusive for U-Roy."

Originally called emceeing, rapping draws roots from toasting. In the United
States, Coke La Rock is credited with boasting crowds; he worked with Kool Herc.
"La Rock didnt rap as wed recognize it now but was more in
the style of the Jamaican sound system toasters or black radio announcers hyping
a record. Still, several of his pet party motivating slogans ("Ya rock
and ya dont stop!" "Rock on my mellow!" "To the beat
yall!") would become rap staples. Some old schoolers assert that
La Rock was the first hip hop rapper."

Lee Scratch Perry created the idea of injecting sound effects into his versions
and dubs. "His own "upsetter" rhythms have long been a staple
of the genre (and echo throughout hip-hop today) and he virtually invented sampling."
The original sound effects were babies crying, pistol shots, police whistles
and breaking glass. These were sounds of the inner cities of Jamaica and America.
Without this, we wouldnt have cop sirens or gun-shots in the background
of todays rap songs. N.W.A. (Niggers With Attitude) would not be able
to give the overall effect of gang violence, without sound effects in there
song "Straight Out of Compton". To people this was shocking but it
brought forth the reality of urban communities that many looked away from.

"Directly or indirectly, elements of hip-hop can be traced back to the
sonic experiments that began in Jamaican studios 25 years ago." Hip-hop
had to start from some idea, and it is visible that not enough Jamaican artists
are credited for its technical development.

"I and the other DJs in the 80s, we change the whole
style, we dont toast and chant like one time, we put it lyrically, we
put it more like a poem, you can read along, there is rhyming. . . But still
DJ, we still have to respect all the artists who came first and set the pace,
we have to respect that."

-Papa San

Reggae music gave America the technology to create hip-hop. From those foundations,
pioneers took the basics and developed new techniques that would advance and
distinguish artists from their original roots. The earliest dance parties in
the Bronx had the similar sound systems to those developed in Jamaica. The "control
tower" included amplifiers, crossovers, turntables, tape recorders, mixers,
echo units, and microphones. In Jamaica, while the deejay was "working
the crowd", the selector uses a number of electronic tricks. The selector
will most likely "drop bombs", which is tricking the deejay and dancers
with switching the beat, and add woofers and echoes, to add or decrease tension.
In America, the deejays did something else, in addition to Jamaican techniques.
They began to take two copies of the same disc on separate tables. "Why
listenthe early hip hop DJs askedto an entire commercial disc if
the disc contained only twenty seconds of worthwhile sound? Why not work that
sound by having two copies of the same disc on separate turntables, moving the
sound on the two tables in DJ-orchestrated patterns, creating thereby a worth-while
sound?"The result was one of selective extension and modification, developed
simply by the human hand and ear. This was one of the main differences between
deejaying in the States, from Jamaica.

In Jamaica, dances would have a showdown between two rival sound systems. "The
competition among the mobile discos is fierce, and these contests are an important
way of making and keeping a reputation." People began to "battle"
one another to sway the crowd towards one particular deejay. "Twenty minutes
of competitive sound meant holding the mike not only to "B", but also
to set the beat to beat out the competition with the "defness"
of your style. Soit was always a throwdown: a self-tailored, self-tutored,
and newly cued game stolen from the multi-national marketplace." There
was synergy between what the DJs played and what excited the crowd. A deejays
interaction with the crowd was influential and important. Winning a showdown
meant holding control over a whole crowd; everyones attention was on you.

Break dancing, just like dance-hall music was competitive. Breaking crews,
in the long tradition of urban gang culture, challenged other dancers to meet
them at a specific playground, street corner, or subway platform. Breakers dueled
each other, move matching move, until one of the crews was acknowledged victorious.
In break dancing, locking and popping were upright dances in which dancers used
their arms, legs, and torsos in isolated, semi-robotic moves requiring great
body control.

However, in dance hall music, the flexibility of your body was key in competition.
As seen in the movie "Dance Hall Queen", women would compete against
each other in moving their body sexually in different positions. "The dancers
are bubbin its a pelvic thing and its sexy."
Whoever got the most attention of the crowd, would be the decided winner or
the person with the best moves got to hold the limelight the longest. "Some
people find the whole sexuality of the dancehall scene offensive, but many of
the women in it told me it allows them to be in control of their sexuality as
opposed to someone using them for their own gain."

In Jamaica and the United States, messages of violence and harsh living were
portrayed in songs. Many stressed importance on moral behavior because a corrupt
lifestyle was an option for those who lived in inner city areas, such as the
South Bronx and Kingston. "Both rap and dance hall herald the ascendancy
of lone street poets who present an unflinching treatment of ghetto realities
and aspirations. The two forms have grown to represent the most authentic voices
from the communities in which they emerged."

The type of hip-hop called gangster rap can be especially related to dancehall
music.

"When I wrote about parties, someone always died. When
I tried to write happy, Yo I knew, I lied, I lived a life of crime. .
. Jet you thru the fast lane. Drop ya on death row. Cause anybody whos
been there, knows life aint so lovely. On the blood  soaked fast
track. . . Dont carry no switch blades. Every kids got a Tec 9 or a hand
grenade. Thirty seven killed last week in a crack war."

-ICE-T

These lyrics come from Ice-Ts song called "O.G.: Original Gangster".
It clearly depicts the everyday lifestyle of growing up in South Los Angeles.
These lyrics got much criticizism because it darkly displayed life, and people
feared that listeners would take these violent actions, even though it was a
portal of real life. "Ice-T writes a song that tells such stories, and
the majority, spending so much time criticizing the song, ignore the whole message."

The dancehall musician Anthony B. can relate to Ice-T in his song "Cold
Feet".

"Dem a walk wid gun in the hand and a run the town. All
in front ah station man ah shot man down. Dem a walk wid gun in the had and
a run the town. All in front ah station man ah shot man down."

-Anthony B.

Dance hall parties and parties in the inner cities of America, were a "calling"
for violence. At many of these parties knocking off a rival sound system or
creating mayhem at events are a convenient way to make a point. The competitive
aspect of rapping and dancing on occasion has resulted in chaos, which should
not be associated with a party.

"Despite, the "dangerous" edge of so much hip hop culture, all
of its most disturbing themes are rooted in this countrys dysfunctional
values." The same goes for reggae music. Most reggae music speaks of the
suffering and oppression that plagues Jamaica. Jamaicans and African Americans,
deal with racism and discrimination. Life in the inner cities also brings economic
oppression. "Throughout history, music originating from Americas
black communities has always had an accompanying subculture reflective of the
political, social and economic conditions of the time."

Kurtis Blow, was one of the first rap artists to have a hit single, with his
song titled "TheBreaks", which came out in 1980. He had this to say
about rap "Its hard for new things to get exposed outside of their
birth place. And it was so hard for us to travel; its hard to take a small
part of the world where something is created; how do you get exposed? Ive
been rapping since 1974. I wanted to put hard core messages but I thought that
radio would just blank off to that. But since "The Message" came out,
I dont know. Maybe we can say anything we want now."

"Dont push me, cause Im close to the
edge. Im trying not to lose my head. Its like a jungle sometimes;
it makes me wonder how I keep from going under."

-Grandmaster Flash

"The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five came out
in 1982. This song was a gold single and the first rap song that rock critics
respected and inspire a generation of MCs. It was the first harsh reflection
of street life that inspired rap music. In "The Message", Grandmaster
Flash is speaking about class discrimination and his frustration is on the verge
of his breaking point.

"Hip-hop has brought America a new language of rhythm, speech, and movement
that has inspired a generation to take verse to say what was too long unspoken
about this nation."

"Jamaican musicians have been singing the latest news for nearly half
a century, blurring the lines between entertainment and social commentary, and
between showmanship and politics." The Jamaican life condition has generated
three social responses; they are aggression, acceptance and avoidance. Aggression
is violence, acceptance is Jamaicas acceptance of its hopeless conditions,
and avoidance being that since there is no good in society, there is no hope
of contributing any.

Many reggae songs deal with these hardships of living in Jamaica.

Mothers joy turn to pain and hollering. Weeping for their
babies and sucklings. Spirits of the innocent wandering. Sufferation everlasting,
but I want to know whos responsible? They dont give a damn no.

-Steel Pulse

These lyrics are from the song "A Who Responsible?" by Steel Pulse.
The name of this album is "True Democracy". This title portrays what
the Jamaicans wanted, but the songs depict the true lifestyle of the people.
The economic hardships of Jamaica have left the country frustrated, leading
the people to acts of violence and selfishness.

"The Message" and "A Who Responsible?" are just two of
the many songs that tell of the sinister aspects of a country.

"The similarity of this type of music is that, its
the same street people comin from the ghetto, off the street, singin
the music, cause if you notice the people that doin hip-hop in America
are people comin from the mean street of the ghetto, and theyre
comin with the same message, theyre lickin out about sufferation
within I&I

community, the oppression within I&I community, police brutality
and all a them type a thing there."

-Super Cat

Reggae was the most influential figure in the development of hip-hop. Jamaicas
musical technology of dubbing and toasting would lead to Americas techniques
of emceeing and scratching. The sound system would become the center
of attention in urban areas. These places become the battle grounds
for youth to show off their skills in hip-hop.

Most important though is that people of the inner cities of Jamaica and America
were finally being heard. Gangster rap and dancehall music spoke about the violence
that went on in their neighborhoods. Other artists in reggae and hip-hop voiced
about the harsh economic, social, and political conditions that faced them.
As blacks, they faced a limited opportunity structure because of their skin
color. Their songs portray their oppressed lifestyle. Society has given them
much criticism about their lyrics, believing the violent words are influencing
others to do deviant acts. If anything music is to be heard, not imitated. It
is vital that society listens to the messages coming from the oppressed. Reggae
and hip-hop have been the pioneers of getting the black communities message
of their inequalities to the rest of the world.